Virginia Code 58.1-1017.4: Documents to be provided at purchase.
A. Any person, except as provided in subsection C, who ships, sells, or distributes any quantity of cigarettes in excess of 10,000 sticks or 50 cartons, or with a value greater than $10,000 in any single transaction or multiple related transactions, shall (i) obtain a copy of the cigarette exemption certificate issued to the purchaser pursuant to § 58.1-623.2 and (ii) maintain such information about the shipment, receipt, sale, and distribution of such cigarettes on a form prescribed by the Office of the Attorney General. Such form may be in electronic format in a manner prescribed by the Office of the Attorney General. Such form shall be transmitted to the Office of the Attorney General upon request, as determined by the Office of the Attorney General.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 58.1-1017.4
- cigarette: includes "roll-your-own" tobacco, which means any tobacco which, because of its appearance, type, packaging, or labeling, is suitable for use and likely to be offered to, or purchased by, consumers as tobacco for making cigarettes. See Virginia Code 58.1-1000
- Department: means the Department of Taxation. See Virginia Code 58.1-1
- Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. Source: OCC
- Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
- Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
- stamping agent: includes "distributor" as that term is defined in § Virginia Code 58.1-1000
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
B. For purposes of complying with subsection A, the seller may maintain an electronic copy of the purchaser’s cigarette exemption certificate.
C. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a stamping agent when delivering cigarettes to the purchaser’s physical place of business.
D. Prior to completing the sale, the purchaser shall complete the form for the seller and present a valid photo identification issued by a state or federal government agency. The purchaser shall sign the form acknowledging an understanding of the applicable sales limit and that providing false statements or misrepresentations may subject the purchaser to criminal penalties.
E. Prior to completing the sale, the seller shall verify that the identity of the purchaser listed on the form matches the identity on the photo identification provided pursuant to subsection D and that the form is completed in its entirety.
F. The records required to be completed by this section shall be preserved for three years at the location where the purchase was made and shall be available for audit and inspection as described in § 58.1-1007. A violation of these requirements shall be punished under the provisions of § 58.1-1007.
G. The Department, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Office of the Attorney General, a local cigarette tax administrative or enforcement official, or any other law-enforcement agency of the Commonwealth or any federal law-enforcement agency conducting a criminal investigation involving the trafficking of cigarettes may access these records required to be completed and preserved by this section at any time. Failure to supply the records upon request shall be punished under the provisions of § 58.1-1007. Copies of the records required to be completed and preserved by this section shall be provided to such officials or agencies upon request. Any court, investigatory grand jury, or special grand jury that has been impaneled in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 13 of Title 19.2 may access such information if relevant to any proceedings therein.
H. The records required to be completed and preserved by this section shall be exempt from disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.).